New Zealand’s events/2015 Conference Present… · Tomtit (NI,SI) Robin (NI,SI,StI) Weka (all)...

New Zealand’sland birds:state and trend

Susan Walker and Adrian MonksLandcare Research, Dunedin

Wild Things

EDS Conference, Auckland

August 12–13 2015

Thanks

The Ornithological Society of New Zealand

Atlases of Bird Distribution in New

Zealand

1970s “Atlas 1”1999–2004 “Atlas 2”

http://www.osnz.org.nz/

Thanks

Photos John Hunt

James Reardon Rachel McLennan

Neil FitzgeraldTim Rumble

John LeathwickCraig McKenzie

CommentsBill Lee

John InnesBarbara Anderson

David BarrellCilla Wehi

OriginalMAINLAND

land bird taxa

140

Mainland land bird taxa

© Rachel McLennan

Extinct

44

“Extant”

96

Mainland land bird taxa

© Rachel McLennan

Extinct (slide 1)post-Polynesian, post-European

MAINLAND land bird taxa

“Extant”

96

Extinct

44

MAINLAND land bird taxa

Extinct (slide 2)post-Polynesian, post-European

Extinct

44

“Extant”

96

Also gone or too rare

TOO RARE ON THE MAINLAND TO MODEL

“Extant”

Also gone or too rare

TOO RARE ON THE MAINLAND TO MODEL

16

No

rthe

rn N

ew Zealan

d d

otterel

Sou

thern

New

Zealand

do

tterel

Also gone or too rare

9 169

TOO RARE ON THE MAINLAND TO MODEL

26

Few not threatened

`Remaining forest birds20 ‘TAXA’ MODELLEDKiwi (all)Blue duckKākā (NI,SI)Rifleman (NI,SI)KōkakoWhiteheadMōhuaBrown creeperKererūBellbirdTūiTomtit (NI,SI)Robin (NI,SI,StI)Weka (all)Yellow-crowned parakeetLong-tailed cuckooShining cuckooGrey warblerFantail (NI,SI)Morepork

20 ‘TAXA’ MODELLEDKiwi (all)Blue duckKākā (NI,SI)Rifleman (NI,SI)KōkakoWhiteheadMōhuaBrown creeperKererūBellbirdTūiTomtit (NI,SI)Robin (NI,SI,StI)Weka (all)Yellow-crowned parakeetLong-tailed cuckooShining cuckooGrey warblerFantail (NI,SI)Morepork

`Remaining forest birds

FAMILY-levelendemics

GENUSlevelendemics

SPECIESlevel

endemics

NATIVE

SUB-FAMILYendemics

1970s early 2000s

Local richness of remaining forest birds

Number of forest bird taxa per 10 × 10 km grid square

High

Low

RICHNESS CHANGE

Gain

Loss

Change in number of taxa

Greatest decrease in forests

Number of forest bird taxa per 10 × 10 km grid square

% Indigenous forest cover (early 2000s)

North Island

Nu

mb

er o

f fo

rest

bir

d t

axa

per

sq

uar

e

5

6

7

8

0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100

South Island

Irreplaceability-vulnerability

Which birds?

Predictors of loss• Deep (family-level) endemics• Already absent from

deforested landscapes• Already rare

Deep endemics going faster

Number of forest bird taxa per 10 × 10 km grid square that are endemic at the family level (deepest endemism)

(Kiwi, Blue duck, Rifleman, Kākā, Kōkako)

20 40 60 80 10010020 40 60 80

Nu

mb

er o

f FA

MIL

Y-EN

DEM

ICfo

rest

bir

d t

axa

per

sq

uar

e

North Island South Island

% Indigenous forest cover (early 2000s)

0.2

0.6

1.0

1.4

North Island South + Stewart Islands

Rarity (1970s)

RARECOMMON

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

Bellbird

Long-tailed cuckoo

Blue duck

Fantail

KakaKiwi

Kokako

MoreporkYc parakeet

Kereru

Rifleman

Robin

Tomtit

Tui

Grey

warbler

Weka

WhiteheadKiwi

Bellbird

Brown

creeper

Long-tailed cuckoo

Shining cuckoo

Blue duck

Fantail

Kaka

MoreporkKereru

Rifleman

Robin

TomtitTui

Grey

warbler

WekaMohua

RARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

Shining

cuckoo

Yc parakeet

The rare became rarer

North Island

Rarity (2000s)

RARECOMMON

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

RARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

Long-tailed cuckoo

Shining

cuckoo

Blue duck

Fantail

Kaka

Kiwi

Kokako

MoreporkYc parakeet

Kereru

Rifleman

Robin

Tomtit

TuiGrey

warbler

Weka

WhiteheadKiwi

Bellbird

Brown

creeper

Long-tailed cuckoo

Shining cuckoo

Blue duck

Fantail

Kaka

Morepork

Yc parakeet

KereruRifleman

Robin

TomtitTui

Grey

warbler

WekaMohua

Bellbird

The rare became rarer

South + Stewart Islands

CHANGE

Gain

Loss

© Tim Rumble

CHANGE

Gain

Loss

© John Leathwick

CHANGE

Gain

Loss

Remaining waders, terns and gulls(Order Charadriiformes)

13 ‘TAXA’ MODELLEDBanded dotterelNew Zealand dotterel (NI,SI)Wrybill

South island pied oystercatcherVariable oystercatcher

Black stiltPied stilt

Black-fronted ternCaspian ternWhite-fronted tern

Black-billed gullRed-billed gullBlack-backed gull

1970s Early 2000s

Local richness of remaining waders, terns and gulls

Number of taxa per 10 × 10 km grid square

High

Low

RICHNESS

Change in number of taxa

CHANGE

Gain

Loss

Significant decreases inland

especially South Island, … but also North Island

Nu

mb

er o

f w

ader

, ter

n a

nd

gu

ll ta

xa p

er s

qu

are

Distance from coast

North Island

1

2

3

INLANDCOAST INLANDCOAST

Change in number of taxa

CHANGE

Gain

Loss

South + Stewart Islands

Which birds?Predictors of loss• Endemic• Inland-breeding Banded dotterel

New Zealand dotterel (NI,SI)Wrybill

South island pied oystercatcherVariable oystercatcher

Black stiltPied stilt

Black-fronted ternCaspian tern

White-fronted tern

Black-billed gullRed-billed gull

Black-backed gull

© Craig McKenzie

On the coast

North Island

Rarity (1970s)

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

South Island

pied oystercatcher

Banded dotterel

New Zealand dotterel Southern black-

backed gullBlack-billed gull

Red-billed gull

Variable oystercatcher

Pied stilt

Caspian ternWhite-fronted tern

Wrybill Banded dotterel

New Zealand

dotterel

Southern black-

backed gullBlack-billed gull

Red-billed gull

South Island pied oystercatcher

Variable oystercatcher

Black stilt

Pied stilt

Black-fronted tern

Caspian ternWhite-fronted tern

Wrybill

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

0.4

Many coastal-breeders increased

South + Stewart Islands

North Island

Rarity (2000s)

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss-0.4

-0.2

0.2

0.4

South Island

pied oystercatcher

Banded dotterel

New Zealand dotterel Southern black-

backed gullBlack-billed gull

Red-billed gull

Variable oystercatcher

Pied stilt

Caspian ternWhite-fronted tern

Wrybill Banded dotterel

New Zealand

dotterel

Southern black-

backed gullBlack-billed gull

Red-billed gullSouth Island pied oystercatcher

Variable oystercatcher

Black stilt

Pied stilt

Black-fronted tern

Caspian ternWhite-fronted tern

Wrybill

© Craig McKenzie

On the coastMany coastal-breeders increased

South + Stewart Islands

Inland

© Craig McKenzie

North Island

Rarity (1970s)

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

North Island

Rarity (1970s)

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

Banded dotterel

Southern black-

backed gull

Black-billed gull

Red-billed gull

Pied stilt

Caspian ternWrybill

Banded dotterel

Southern black-

backed gull

Black-billed gull

Red-billed gull

Black stilt

Pied stilt

Black-

fronted tern

Caspian tern

Wrybill

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

0.4

South Island pied

oystercatcher

South Island pied oystercatcher

Loss of inland breeders

South Island

InlandLoss of inland breeders

North Island South Island

Rarity (2000s)

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

North Island South Island

RARECOMMONRARECOMMON

Gain

Loss

Banded dotterel

Southern black-

backed gull

Black-billed gull

Red-billed gull

South Island pied oystercatcher

Pied stilt

Caspian tern

Banded dotterel

Southern black-

backed gull

Black-billed gull

Red-billed gullSouth Island pied

oystercatcher

Black stilt

Pied stilt

Black-

fronted tern

Caspian tern

Wrybill

-0.4

-0.2

0.2

0.4

© Craig McKenzie

Wrybill

ConclusionsRapid loss of endemic birds continues on the mainland

The most significant avian biodiversity loss is in forests and inland basins, far from cities

A new scale of operational conservation will be needed to slow it